Long Covid has made me appreciate what is important in life

Recovering from the devastating effects of coronavirus can be a lengthy challenge.

While many who catch it will go on to recover fully quite quickly, for some who develop what’s termed 'long Covid', getting over the initial impact is just the first step.

Alan Grantham, 59, from Wellesbourne spoke to the Herald about how having the virus has had one positive impact, making him appreciate the important things in life – family and loved ones.

Alan said: “I caught coronavirus in mid-November – the whole family went down with it – but after I’d had it for two weeks I was hospitalised. It had really got on to my chest.

“It was a very scary experience. You’re looking out of the window of the ambulance at your family as you drive away – it’s worrying. You can’t help things going through your mind.

“My blood oxygen levels were quite low and I also got double pneumonia, so I had to stay in for six days to recover.

“What I would say is the medical staff at Warwick were absolutely superb, fantastic. The NHS is stretched – people are working double shifts – but the job they are doing is amazing.

“It’s the first time I’ve been in hospital since I was a child and I just can’t fault the way they cared for everyone.

“When I was discharged, they told me to take it easy and I had to isolate for a week afterwards anyway, but even after that it was still a struggle. My legs and my lower back were very weak and the worst bit for me is I can still feel it on my chest.

“I went back to the doctors and they explained it was likely long Covid, but they couldn’t really say when I would fully recover: six, 12 months – they just don’t know yet.

“I still lack energy. Some days are better than others but it’s not the kind of thing where you can just stop doing something, have a bite to eat and your energy returns. The only thing you can do is rest: that’s all that works.

“The weirdest thing for me is that I can’t drink coffee or Coke – they just taste disgusting. I know some people lose their sense of taste for a while, but for me drinking Coke or coffee just tastes like rusty nails, it’s a metallic taste.

“I think things are slowly getting better and if it gets warmer that might help too. It’s frustrating more than anything else.

“The one thing I would take from this whole experience is that it makes you appreciate what is important in life.

“Before all this I’d sit there worrying about this or that, but when something like this happens to you, it puts everything into perspective.

“Family, the people you love, are all that matters.”

IT’S hard to determine exactly how many people have developed long Covid, but some estimates say more than 150,000 people may suffer symptoms of the virus for a prolonged period of time.

Symptoms of long Covid include respiratory problems such as a chronic cough, shortness of breath and lung inflammation, headaches, protracted loss of smell or taste and gastrointestinal disturbances with diarrhoea.

Kidney and liver dysfunction, blood clotting disorders, skin rashes, fatigue, weakness and sleeplessness are among the other symptoms that have been reported, while some may experience mental health problems including depression and anxiety.

Research into the long-term effects of coronavirus is continuing and patients recovering from the virus should speak to their GP about help and support available.

The NHS recommends that people with symptoms of long Covid should follow the three Ps:

PACE – Do less than you think you can and take rests;

PLAN – Look at the activities you do and see how these can be spread evenly over the week; and

PRIORITISE – Work out what tasks you need to do and which can be put off until another day.

Further information is also available by visiting https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/your-road-to-recovery/what-next/